Blood and Bullets
by ringbearers-gaurdian
Summary: Pre-Movie. Sands is on the hunt for a man who's taken something very important to him. Tracking him through Mexico, he ends up partnered with another man who has a vendetta, not just any man, a man named Wolverine.
1. Shoot Out

Author's Note: This is the first crossover like this, I've ever really considered doing. It was a strange idea that came to me, I couldn't resist, not with these two characters. ;) Its in this Catagory, because even though it's a cross over, and starts THIS way, it's mostly a story about Sands.

Unbeta'd all mistakes mine.

* * *

He was in Mexico to find a man. A man that Logan knew wouldn't be alive, when he walked away. The dry desert sun glared down at him as he moved down the street towards the bar. This where his contact, told him the man was. Logan cracked his knuckles. Other wise known as the mutant Wolverine, Logan wasn't about to let his prey disappear from his sights again. 

Pulling the cowboy hat lower, he entered the darkened building, feeling the heat of the sun leaving his back as the stale air, laced with beer and urine entered his nostrils. He looked around the bar and saw the man he wanted in the corner. He also noted another man, younger, dressed in black at the bar, a shot of tequila in front of him and a cigarette in his gloved hand, sunglasses sitting low on his nose. He was eyeing the bar top, as if he'd had a long day. Logan made note of him, and the gun the younger man was carrying in the shoulder holster under his jacket, as he moved back towards the man in the corner.

Perhaps he should have registered it as a trap. But as he moved closer to the man he was after, the fool leapt to his feet. "You'll never take me alive, Wolverine!" The man pulled a uzi from under table, opening fire. Logan threw himself behind table, as he pulled it vertical to shield himself from bullets. The young man at the bar had thrown himself behind it's corner and Logan watched him peek out from the edge, eyeing the situation. "Evans!" Logan yelled with a growl. "You thought you'd come to get me, Wolverine!?" The man was nervous and scared, Logan could smell it from here.

Out of the corner of Logan's eyes, he saw the young man move with a cat like speed from behind the edge of the bar to behind a table he kicked up as he slid into it, taking cover behind it. He watched the young man pull the twin guns from inside his coat. Then Logan noticed what the other man had. Three men were moving into the bar, armed to the teeth, guns in Logan's direction. Logan swore. "Evans, this is between you and me!" Logan yelled. "Not any more!" Evans replied, opening fire and splintering the top edge of the table Logan was hiding behind.

The young man suddenly opened fire and Logan spun on his knees, to see two men coming through the back door, ready to jump Logan. One of the men lunged to escape the young man's bullets, but he lunged in the wrong direction and he spun to attack Logan, who threw himself into the guy, extending his claws through the man's wrist, causing him to drop his gun. Now Logan was in the open for Evan's fire. He grabbed other man, spinning, shielding himself with the man he was holding as Evans opened fire. The young man fired on the other man who was trying to get at Logan, dropping him to the floor, then he turned, standing and fired on Evans.

Evans was taken back at someone else firing on him and he turned on the young man, opening fire. The three men with Evans also opened fire. The young man sprinted with that cat like speed again and flung himself on to the bar, sliding down the way, until he came up right beside one of the men and fired pointed blank. As the man dropped, he rolled off the bar and came up behind the other man. With a wicked grin, he tapped the man on the shoulder and as the guy turned, the young man in black decked him hard with the butt of one of his guns.

Before the other man or Evans could react, the young man had both guns trained on them. "You know," He said with a drawl, and wickedly amused grin. "I came in here to get a quiet drink and you had to bring your attitude in here, being all big and bad, with that, 'look at me, I got an uzi' attempt. You REALLY put a damper on my day." The one man started to take a step and the young man in black whipped his head around to give the man a stone cold look. "Make a move motherfucker, I dare you." He hissed.

Logan had to admit, the kid had guts, was standing before a man who'd killed many as if he did this every day and it was nothing more then a walk in the park. But he had done one thing for Logan, he'd drew Evans' attention away from Logan. With a growl, Logan extended his claws and lunged at Evans.

Evans spun, surprised and with a yelp, grabbed his last lackey and threw him into Logan. Logan threw the man from his way as Evans opened fire on the younger man and sprinted towards the door. The young man in black ducked behind a stack of crates near the door and fired back on Evans, but both their attempts to get at Evans proved in vain as Evans fled into the streets. Logan sprinted outside, looking up and down the street, but it was usual. Evans had appeared to have disappeared. Teleported most likely, to a safe location. He swore vulgarly and turned going back into the bar, hoping one of the men was still alive.

He was in luck. The young man in black was crouched next to the man Logan had thrown out of his way, both guns resting lightly on his knees. As Logan approached, the man in black suddenly stood, turning with grace, both guns raised and aiming at Logan. "Whoa." Logan growled calmly, holding up both hands in surrender. The man narrowed his eyes, watching Logan closely. Again, Logan was reminded of a black cat and he took in the young man's appearance. 5'11 at the least, sable hair to the shoulders. Black cloths and black cowboy boots, the kid looked eccentric, especially with the sunglasses and Logan couldn't see why ANYONE sane would wear black in this place.

"He wont say anything." The man spoke and Logan watched the kid nudge the man on the floor with his boot toe. "I'm used to that." Logan said, moving over and he reached down roughly and grabbed the man by the throat, jerking him roughly to his feet. "Care to tell me where Evans went?!" Logan growled. The man spit in Logan's face and Logan slammed him into the wall, bringing up one hand. He extended his claws slowly, to give the man the full effect. "Let's try that again..." The man still glared, almost taunting Logan. Logan knew he wouldn't get anything out of the man, and right now, he wasn't here to kill this fool.

With a disgusted growl, Logan dropped the man on the floor and turned his back on him, moving to where his hat lay. He was bending down to pick it up, when the shot rang out through the room. Logan spun. The man was dropping to the floor, a wicked looking dagger in his hand, on the other side of the room, the young man in black stood, a smoking pistol in his hand. Logan looked at the kid.

'I've never seen some one cause so much shit in such a short time, and that's saying something, because usually it's me, startin' the shit." The kid said, holstering his guns.

"Trouble tends to follow me." Logan growled picking up his hat and dusting it off.

"I think that makes two of us." The kid said, searching the man on the floor. He sat on the balls of his feet, crouched beside him, going through the man's wallet. Logan watched the kid take the man's money and a business card and pocket them. He frowned, but that wasn't his concern. He had to go pick up Evans trail.

He headed towards the door, but was stopped by the kid's voice. "You wont find him." Logan looked over his shoulder. The kid was standing and turned slowly in Logan's direction. "You underestimate me." Logan replied, turning back to the door. "I don't underestimate any one." The kid answered and Logan heard him moving towards the door. "Least of all, some one like...you." The kid stopped in the door way and thumped Logan in the shoulder. "But I've been tracking Evans for weeks now. This is the closest I've been in all this time. So if you go out there, thinking you're going to find him today, you've got another thing coming." The kid started out the door.

Logan cocked his head to the side and was watching him. "Yeah, so what do you suggest?" Logan asked him. The young man stopped in the sunlight and looked back at him, pushing the sunglasses up his nose. There was a long moment of silence, when the two watched each other.

Finally the young man stepped back up to Logan's side. "We'll both benefit from finding Evans, so I'm thinking...two heads are better then one." He said, taking a cheroot from his vest pocket and lighting it. Shutting the zippo, he looked up at Logan as he took the cigarette from his mouth, exhaling slowly. "You've got your reasons for finding him, I've got mine. But this is a bad town and someone's gonna catch wind of what happened in here and they're gonna come gunnin' for us. So I think it's only fair, that...we exchange information."

Logan eyed him, "You got a name, bub?"

"Sands. SJSands." The young man introduced himself.

"I see, _Sands_," Logan said with a tone. "And what makes you think I'm going to trust you?"

Sands shrugged. "Trust has nothing to do with it." At least the kid was honest. "This is all about business, Slick."

Logan snorted. But, there was one thing this Sands was right about. Logan wouldn't be able to track Evans successfully, if he didn't have the information he needed.

"So what da ya say, Gramps, deal?" Sands asked, grinning that wicked grin again.

Logan growled a foul word. "Don't call me gramps, Sport."

Sands shrugged in an amused away, burring his hands in his pockets. "Let's get a drink, eh? Down the street." He turned and started off down the street not even turning to look to see if Logan was following. Amused himself, Logan followed. If anything, Sands might prove to be useful, at the very least entertaining.

* * *

Sands came back to the table in the corner with a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses, a lime in one hand. He sat down at the table across from Logan and put the bottle and glasses on the table, leaning back in his chair and taking a small pocket knife to the lime. "So, first off and foremost, there isn't anything about me, you need to know." Sands said, cutting the lime into wedges. Logan poured a shot of tequila and looked at Sands. 

"Correction, there's one thing I need to know about, or we don't deal." Sands glanced at him briefly, but said nothing, still cutting the lime and Logan went on. "I need to know what you want with Evans."

"It's personal." Sands replied. "As I imagine your business with him is."

Logan nodded, downing the shot.

"I don't care who kills him," Sands went on. "But he has something of mine, I want back."

Logan eyed him. He was satisfied not to know what that something was for the time being.

"Evans moves location ever three days if he feels he's been found out. He's been moving in a steady line south. I'm guessing we can probably jump one town ahead of him. Cut him off, give him a bit of a surprise." Sands told Logan as he leaned forward, pouring himself a shot of tequila.

"Sounds like a plan." Sands nodded in agreement as he downed the shot and slipped a wedge of lime into his mouth.

After a moment of sucking on the slice of lime, he took it out of his mouth and sat a little straighter.

"But Evans isn't working alone, as you may have noticed. I'm thinkin' he's got friends in higher places, so to speak. Namely a few drug cartels around this area."

"That sort of figures." Logan replied.

"Don't worry about the cartel, sweetcheeks," Sands said with a grin as he lit a cigarette. "If they get close, I'll take care of them."

"Wonderful reassurement." Logan growled.

Sands winked, "Hey, it's my job."

"Yeah, and what's that?" Logan asked.

"You're talking to CIA Officer Sands, my friend. Wolverine, was it?" Sands cocked his head to the side. "Nice name." He remarked.

Logan gave him a dark look. "It's a sort of nickname." Logan growled. "That's cool. But there something else I can call you?"

"Logan." Logan answered

"That's better."

Sands leaned back in his chair. "So do we have a deal on this. Temporary partners till that son of a bitch is down?"

Logan looked at him. In an odd sort of way, he liked the kid. "Deal." Logan said after a moment.

"Groovy, just peachy keen." Sands said with a grin.

He took a business card from his jacket and slid it across the table. "My privet cell phone number. Give me a ring in the morning. We'll meet here and go from there." Sands said, suddenly all business, he was eyeing the people coming into the bar. Logan took the business card and pocketed it.

"Buenos noches, Logan. See ya in the morning." With that, Sands got up, heading for the door, not before tossing some cash on the table. Logan watched him go. He sat back as the agent disappeared in the coming night. Eventually, Logan would have to find out what the kid was after from Evans, but for right now, he was willing to play the kid's game.


	2. Information

Logan leaned against the window frame, smoking a cigar, the phone cradled on one shoulder, as he listened to furious typing on the other line. "Tada!" The voice on the other end chirped "What have you got, Washu?" Logan growled. "Oh lots!" Washu Li said from her end. She had been tapping into the S.H.E.I.L.D computers digging up information for Logan, on his new business partner, Sands.

"Well, what's it say?" Logan asked, irritated. Washu loved to give him the run around on these kind of things.

"Well, the kid is definitely CIA. Been with them for 13 years. Assassin."

"He's an assassin?"

"Yep, for the CIA, one of the best, apparently. He's got a partner though." Washu said thoughtfully. "A former MI-6 Officer by the name of Cerise Stone. Oo..according to this, it's entirely possibly that Mr. Sands and his partner, Ms. Stone are ROMANTICALLY involved." Washu said, in a giggly voice.

"Cerise Stone, are you sure?" Logan asked, straightening up suddenly.

"Yep, clear as pie here. Cerise Eveyln Stone, 24. Birthplace, London England. Parents..."

"I know who her parents are." Logan cut in. "At least who her mother is, any way."

"You know her mother?" Washu asked curiously.

"If her mother is Lara Stone, then yes." Logan replied, watching the traffic below his window.

"It is." Washu answered. "How do you know her mother?" Washu asked him.

Logan smiled a bit sarcastically. "I had a romantic fling with her, once. Lara was an actress on the British Stage. Gorgeous woman. So little Cherry's all grown up now then is she?"

"So you knew Cerise too?" Washu asked.

"In a way. I knew Lara had a two year old daughter. Cute as a button."

A silence fell between the for a moment, Logan smoked his cigar in thought, staring out through the window. Finally Washu broke the silence.

"Did you love her, Logan?"

"I did. Enough to propose. I came to love both Lara and little Cerise." He said simply.

"Do you know that Lara is dead?" Washu asked softly.

Logan sighed, but answered. "I did. Found out a few years ago, was never able to get in touch with Cerise. I doubt she'd remember me anyway."

Another silence for a moment, before Logan changed the subject. "So if she's Sands' partner, where is she?"

"I don't know," Washu answered. "It says she's MIA..."

Logan frowned deeply. He suddenly had a feeling that he knew exactly what Evans had taken from Sands. And it was all the more reason for Logan to help Sands catch the bastard.

* * *

"I'm so tired, Jeff, Can't I do this in the morning?" Sarah asked over the phone.

"No." Sands replied sharply, taking a long drag on his cigarette as he stood on the balcony with his cellphone. He heard Sarah sigh and some typing.

"Right..." She muttered. "Wolverine...aka Logan...he's a mutant. We've got him on our watch list."

"Well, I sorta figured he was a mutant. The six in knives in his hands and all." Sands muttered, sarcastically.

"Well, he's done work for S.H.E.I.L.D, so he can be trusted. And he's part of that one group Sammy and I looked in to, you know, the X-Men?" Sarah said

"Yes, I remember. What I want to know, Sarah is WHY he's looking for Evans." Sands retorted.

There was more typing. "I don't know, Jeff, there isn't MUCH information on the two. What I can tell you, Jeff is it involved something personal. Oh Jeff, PLEASE be careful! You know what Evans is capable of!" Sarah pleaded with him suddenly.

Sands sighed as he finished his cigarette and chunked it over the rail. Turning he leaned against the wroth iron. "Sarah, you know what I'm doing here, and why I'm after Evans. I'm not going to rest until I've done what needs to be done and have her back!"


	3. Trouble Follows Who?

Author: This is such a fun story to write!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wolverine/Logan or Sands. They belong to their respected owners. The good people at Marvel and RR and such. But they do make one HELL of a team! **

* * *

Sands strolled down the dirty street towards the bar, as the morning sun rose slowly over head, a heat already rising off the ground, to cloister him. Ignoring it, he kept walking steadily, pausing only once to check the vibrating of his cellphone, a simple message from Sarah.

_Be Careful! _

"For fucks sake, Sarah, you're such a mother hen." Sands muttered, rolling his eyes, stashing the cellphone and pushing the sunglasses back up his nose. With a quick deep breath, he continued on.

Entering the bar, he pushed the cowboy hat back on his head a tad, and lowered the sunglasses enough to scan the bars occupants. Sands had a theory, that in a town like this, the bars NEVER closed, which they probably didn't. But he was happy to see his new partner hadn't skipped out on him.

Logan was sitting at the same table at the back of the bar, reading a paper and smoking a cigar and didn't even register Sands' appearance as he approached the table. Sands grabbed a chair, spun it around and straddled it. "So then, we all peachy keen to get on with it?" He asked cheerfully, watching Logan.

Logan finally looked up at him with a bored, passive look. "We got a few things to talk about first, slick."

Sands frowned slightly. "When ever you're ready, Gramps." He watched Logan tap the ashes off his cigar and take a drink from the mug next to him.

Logan drew a long drag, regarding the young man, before he said. "The thing Evans took from you, how long as he had her?"

Sands blinked once, hid the surprise and raised an eyebrow. "How long as he had what?" He replied slightly coyly.

Logan leaned on the table. "Lets not play games, Tiger or there's no deal. How long as Evans had Cerise Stone?"

Sands sighed, straightening his posture and gave Logan a steady look, before he took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lighting one. "Two weeks." He answered monotone.

Logan considered him, eyeing him in silence, the asked. "How'd he get a hold of her?"

Sands tapped the ashes off his cigarette and gave Logan a dark look, for his inquiring. "In Mexico City. He kidnapped her, to use against me."

"What the hell did you do to piss him off?"

Sands snorted. "The usual..." He muttered. "I made sure his little operation feel out from under him, then I rubbed it in his face."

Logan chuckled then, before taking another drink. "You've got guts, Kid. Not many people get away with rubbing shit in Evans' face. In fact, there's only one other person I know to get away with it."

"Yeah, and who'd that be?" Sands asked, glancing towards the door of the bar, something setting the hair on the back of his neck to tingling.

"Me." Logan answered, sitting the cigar between his teeth. "Lets go, Kid." He got up, shoving the chair back under the table, and tossing a few pesos on the table.

Sands looked up at him, taking the sunglasses off. He didn't even dare glance over his shoulder again at the door. Logan glanced at him, and with an ever so slight jerk of the head, nodded to the back door.

Sands got up, spinning the chair back around and under the table, and started to follow Logan back towards the back door when the gunfire started. Logan shoved Sands into the small hall way the led to the bathrooms and the fire escape.

"This is to fucking early for this!" Sands shouted over the gunfire, pulling his desert eagles from their holsters, under his jacket. Logan came through the door and leaned against the opposite wall as bullets tore through the thin frame.

"I'll second that." He growled. He watched Sands lean around the corner and open fire, before retreating again. "Any idea who they are?" He asked the young man.

"Cartel, by the look of them." Sands answered, before leaning out again. "And they're sneaky bastards." He growled, ducking back a second time. "They're hiding."

Logan glanced around the corner. "They're not hiding, Slick!" He retorted suddenly as the slim black cylinder bounced into the hall with them. A thick lavender smoke began emitting from it. A second gas canister bounced into the all, also admitting the thick smoke.

Sands pulled his shirt front over his mouth and nose as Logan coughed and shoved past him, to the fire exit door. He extened his claws on one hand and sliced through the pad lock and chains, before ripping the door open.

"Ah Fuck!" He swore harshly, seeing the brick wall covering the exit. He heard another gas bomb enter the hallway. He wasn't overly worried about them, his healing factor kept them from effecting him to much.

However, he did start to worry, when he heard Sands. "Hey, Logan..." His voice was muffled, Logan looked over his shoulder at Sands, who was beginning to sage against the wall. Logan shoved past him, grabbing one of the canisters and chunking it back into the main room of the bar. He kicked the other one out the door and grabbed Sands by the upper arm.

"Not even, Slick!" He growled, before shoving him into the women's bathroom and glancing around. The bath room was just disgusting, but Logan could care less as his eyes swept over the room. There was a window above the second stall, big enough for Sands, who was thin enough, to get through.

Logan shattered the window and turned to see Sands shoving his head under a faucet and turning on the water. Loan waited until Sands had soaked his entire head, before saying. "Get out this window. I suggest ya go around to the front and see if you can pick 'em off that way."

Sands shook the water out of his eyes and looked at Logan. Logan could see the young man's eyes were red from the smoke and he still looked a bit fuzzed from the sleeping gas. "Can ya follow those directions?" Logan growled.

"Yes." Sands answered simply, before squeezing past Logan and climbing onto the back tank of the toilet, before pulling himself through the window. It was less then graceful, but it was fast and smooth and Logan had no doubt that if the kid wasn't effected by the gas, it would have been a lot more graceful.

Once he heard the kid drop into the alley way, Logan turned and ripped open the bathroom door. The entire place was full of the thick slightly lavender colored gas. He could hear the cartel members in the main area of the bar cough and shouting orders in spanish, wanting some one to go into the hall and see if either of them were still standing, but no one was volunteering.

Extending the claws on both hands, Logan lunged into the room. The closest cartel man screamed in fear as he saw the figure of Logan coming out of the smoke, but Logan didn't give him a chance to get away, gutting him, before shoving the body at another pair of goons.

The smoke was now so thick, they couldn't open fire with out fear of shooting eachother. Logan blended in and out of it, picking them off one at a time. He was beginning to wonder if either the kid had skipped out on him or ran into trouble, when the windows were shattered by gun fire and streams of sunlight filtered in, piercing through the smoke.

Bullets brought down the three gun men by the door and windows. Logan renewed his attack and by the time the smoke was drifting out the shattered windows into the late morning, bodies lay scattered around the floor.

Logan retracked his claws, looking around at the carnage, before he glanced at the door to see Sands stepping up and surveying the damage. "Evans is getting serious about keeping us away." He said simple, holstering both guns.

"We spooked him yesterday." Logan replied. "He now realizes he has two of us after him. But rather or not he realizes we've teamed up is still to be determined."

Sands was silent a moment as he looked around the bar. Then he turned to Logan. "He took Cerise from me, and I intend on getting back the woman I love!" He hissed dangerously. "And God help him, if he's hurt her!"

Logan looked over at him, their gazes meeting. "I'll help you get her back and put Evans in his grave, Sands." He said seriously. "I knew Cerise's mother...very well."

The two regarded each other a moment, then Sands held out his hand. Logan took it, grasping it.


	4. I Lost?

Logan knocked on the hotel room door as the sun sat outside. "It's open." Came the reply. Logan raised an eyebrow at the all to easy way this could go wrong if he were the kid's enemy, but entered the hotel room. Sands was sitting at a back table near the balcony typing away, but when Logan saw the gun resting on his thigh, he smirked slightly.

"Over the smoke?" Logan asked him.

"Killer migrain." Sands answered with out looking up.

"Yeah, that shit'll do it to ya." Logan replied, flopping down in a chair near the door and lighting a cigar.

Sands closed his laptop, looked over and regarded Logan a moment. "You said you wanted to know more...what do you want to know?"

"How long ya been doin' this shit?" Logan asked, as he puffed away at the cigar.

"Some time too long, and some times not long enough." Sands answered, digging around under a stack of papers.

Logan quirked an eyebrow. "How long's Cerise been yer partner?"

Sands looked over at him through the hair in his face and gave a have crooked grin. "Long enough to know how to handle me." He replied.

Logan stared back at him through the smoke, watching the kid find what he was looking for and light a cigarette. "Ya ever answer a question directly?"

"Keeps me alive and other people on their toes." Sands answered, opening his lab top again.

"Bub, I need t' know the real answers." Logan said levelly. He waited, watching the kid type and smoke.

Sands tried to keep his mind on the work in front of him, rather then the fact that he could see Logan out of the corner of his eye waiting for him to answer. But no matter how long Sands held off on answering the questions, the calmer Logan seemed to get.

Finally, Sands sighed, sitting back in his chair a bit and said softly. "Eleven years. Three years, and no, I never answer a question directly if I can help it."

"Why?"

Sands looked at him through the grey smoke of his cigarette. "It keeps me alive longer. I was being honest about that."

"How'd it really happen?" Logan asked, settling comfortably in the chair.

Sands snorted, watching him. "It's not that long of a story. We tracked Evans to San Maguel three weeks ago. The idea was to set up...an ambush. However, some how he got wind of it, and hours before it was to happen, he busted into her hotel room and kidnapped her. I was finalizing everything, so I was hardly there to stop him." He drew a long drag and held it until his lungs couldn't stand it any more, exhaling slowly.

"Any idea how he got wind of it?" Logan asked, eyeing the kid.

"Nope. Been working on that one as I go." Sands said with a shrug.

Logan continued to eye Sands in a silent manner, reading him. The kid was sharp, intelligent and dangerous. But Logan saw some other traits. He was a talented liar and manipulator and Logan began to wonder if he could even trust the kid. He wasn't sure loyalty was one of the kid's strong suits and decided to hold back on his own information for the time being, feed the kid enough to get what information Logan needed. He had a feeling the kid was a wild card, it was written all over him.

And he was hardly bothered that the kid was looking back at him with the same calculated look. It just proved his intelligence.

Sands snubbed out his cigarette, watching Logan a moment. He hadn't known any mutants before meeting Logan, and he really didn't care one way or the other. All this mutant hysteria that was gripping the country with the riots, and the registering, so the 'public' knew who the mutants were. It was quite possibly the most ridiculous thing Sands had ever heard of and was probably the lowest form of racism the country could achieve. It gave Sands a headache really.

But on the other hand, he could see why the registering would be useful. This man, Logan, or Wolverine as Evans had called him in the bar, may have been just one man, but he was more like a walking execution. So far he'd walked out with no injuries where a normal man would have fallen. The knock out gas hadn't even effected him. And then what about those claws? If this man wasn't on Sands' side, Sands would have a hard time of dispatching him. Nothing short of slicing off Logan's head 'Highlander' style, wouldn't slow this man down.

But could Sands trust him? How long until Logan got what he wanted and abandon Sands for better or worst. _What the fuck are you talking about?!_ Sands inwardly grimaced. Trust! He out right barked a laugh, getting up from the chair and going over to the mini bar. Sheldon Sands trusted no one. The only thing Logan was useful right now, was getting to Evans and getting Cerise out.

"Somethin' funny Slick?" Logan asked in a growl.

Sands dug around in the mini bar and pulled out a mini bottle of tequila, twisting off the cap and drinking the whole thing, before he turned and looked at the man. "Yeah, you."

" 'Cuse me?" Logan growled, quirking an eyebrow again.

Sands stifled a snicker. "You gettin' paid for this?"

Logan inclined his head a moment and shook it. _Paranoid too..._ He decided to turn the tables on the kid. "Not as much as you, obviously."

"The CIA don't pay me enough to fuck around with this kind of shit." Sands said, digging out another bottle of tequila.

"Obviously." Logan remarked.

Sands raised an eyebrow. "Obviously what?"

"Kid, you got the bum rush with this job." Logan smirked, getting up from the chair.

Sands tossed back the second bottle and slammed it on the counter. "Don't." He said simply, giving Logan a bored look.

"Don't wha?"

"Don't EVEN trying to play games with me. You wont win." He shifted his weight.

Logan smirked. "Is that a fact? Let me guess. Ya think I'm workin' for Evans."

"It was obviously convenient for you to show up at the bar last night..." Sands replied with a slightly arrogant look.

"And the fact that he tried to kill me doesn't make you think a bit harder?"

"I watched you take three bullets that would kill a man. And the gas this afternoon certianlly didnt' effect you."

"Advanced healing. It's a mutant thing, Kid." Logan replied simply.

"That your gift?" Sands didn't fail to notice Logan was heading his way.

"More or less." Logan replied, hands in his pockets. He was stalking slowly, casually toward the kid, with the full intent to show the kid, if he intended on playing games, he wasn't going to win against Logan. "What's the CIA want with Evans anyway?" Logan asked conversationally.

"Arms trafficking." Sands answered.

"Odd. Evans doesn't usually concern himself with you and your petty wars."

Sands' eyebrows shot up. "That's a bit racist, don't ya think?"

"That's what yer implyin', Sport."

Sands gave him an incredulous look. "Wha?"

"Oh." Logan said, letting the word hang and smiled in a mock realization. "You just don't trust people."

**"People are like** **elevators and stairs. They're all a trap waiting to happen, but so much bloody fun to walk all over." **Sands said with an insane grin.

Logan was forced to bark a laugh. It was such a perverse statment but so very logical. "Twisted, kid, real twisted."

"Well, I ain't exactly a fuckin' ray of sunshine, mate." Sands replied, with a look. "And to answer your question, no one's lived up to earning my trust."

"Then what's Cerise to you?" Logan asked simply.

Sands frowned, giving the man a look. "Didn't any one tell you it's not nice to pry."

Logan shook his head, chuckling, heading for the door. "Night, Sport. Don't forget to screw on that head a little tighter in the morning." Logan opened the hotel door. "Oh, and lock your door."

Sands stared after him, with a cold glare, realizing he'd just lost that battle of wits to Logan. He tried to remind himself he'd at least got one or two good ones in, but he'd still lost! "Shit!" he swore, kicking the mini bar.

He heard Logan's laughter fading down the hall and Sands snarled at the closed door. "Two can play this game, my friend." He grumbled to the closed door.


	5. Ambush

It was some time after midnight, when Sands left his room, locking the door and sliding the key into his pocket as he went.

But half way down the dark hall, he stopped, the total sensation that some one was behind him. Which was only proved correct, when he felt the muzzle of a gun in his back. "We can do this one of two ways, darling." A woman said in a British accent.

"And what would that be?" Sands asked calmly, leaving his hands loose.

"You're a smart boy. I think you can figure that out..." She purred.

"Well then, I think we're at a loss, cause I never do anything the easy way..." Sands replied, dropping down, sliding his leg between the woman's.

It didn't drop her like he hoped, because she literally back fliped, into a crouch, a few fet away, but it did give him a chance to pull his own guns, as he rolled into a crouch. Seconds ticked by. He could see her outline in the shadows a few feet infront of him, two 9 mms. trained on him.

"Your move handsome." She sneered.

But Sands stayed crouched. "You take me for a fool, sweetcheeks?" He sneered right back.

"Well, this should be interesting." She said, with a wicked grin. She pushed up from the crouch, into a run, opening fire on Sands, who rolled to the left, throwing his shoulder into the door of an empty room, rolling into it.

He was on his feet in seconds, running back into the hall, and opening fire at the woman as she dropped and rolled around to face him. But Sands was still advancing on her, and her only escape was the window behind her. Holstering her weapons, she threw herself into a back flip, using her feet to kick out the glass, and sprang through it, dropping the two stories to the court yard, to land on her feet.

But her pursuer didn't give up, he landed on his feet as well. "Well, it certainly has been a long time, since a man has showed such...interest in me..." She purred with a smile.

"I don't do this every night, sweetheart." Sands hissed in return, holding a fighters crouch, guns at ready.

"Indeed." She said with humor, and was about to move, when another woman's voice broke through the darkness. "Alex! Don't! He's on our side!" Yet another british woman came out. Her hair was dark dark red, and there was a black streak down the front.

The woman who'd been called Alex stood straight, but came to a stop as the woman and Logan appeared in the blackness. Alex sighed and gave the other woman a look. "Miranda, ya ruin a girl's fun." She said, holstering both guns.

Sands stood as well, glaring nastily at Logan. "What the fuck is this?" He demanded.

Logan chuckled. He'd had a arm on the waist of the woman with him, and he removed the cigar from his mouth, still chuckling. "I gotta admit, they surprised me as well. But cool it Slick. We can trust 'em."

"Fuck that shit, she just tried to fill me with lead!" Sands snarled.

"I was looking for Sands." Alex shot back in her defense. "You came out of his hotel room, armed, what do you expect."

"I AM Sands! Ya might have asked!"

Alex looked at Logan and the other woman. The other chuckled and moved to Alex's side. Logan moved to Sands. "We can trust 'em. This is Alexandra O'Connell and Miranda Marko." He jestured to the women. "Friends of mine."

"Actually, Miranda would be more then friends but..." Alex was cut off by the other woman's stern look and she smiled in reply to the woman's look. Then she sighed and turned to Sands. "We get a call, Miranda and I, from an old friend, a few days ago. Cerise Stone. It's a garbled and urgent message saying she needs help. So naturally, Miranda and I are on a plane for Mexico."

"Then I find out that Logan's here. Naturally, I look him up to find out why. Imagine our surprise and delight, when we find out he's looking for Cerise too. And he tells us, her partner and lover is looking for her and partnered up with him. So we came lookin' for you." Miranda added, sizing Sands up.

"Great, one big Brady Bunch." Sands snorted, rolling his eyes.

"They can be of some big help, Sport. And I've got two more friends on their way." Logan replied calmly. "I called them this afternoon."

"When were you going to tell me?!" Sands demanded.

"When I thought you were ready." Logan replied calmly.

Sands sighed, knowing NOW was not the time to start a fight with any of them. And Logan was probably right, they could use the help. Evans had more then enough men to outnumber them, working for him. Not to mention some control over the cartels. He turned to the two women. "You two...mutants?"

"She is, I'm not." Alex said.

Miranda smiled warmly. "You can call me Phoenix or Miranda. I'm quantem psionic."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Sands asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I can destory the world or create another, on just a whim. I'm a cosmic universal power, known as The Phoenix. But don't get your knickers in a twist, darlin', I'm not nearly as powerful as some other mutants I know...least not yet...I haven't discovered my full reach of powers."

"And what are you?" Sands asked Alex.

Alex shrugged. She was dressed in a pair of shorts, with a hip holster, her hair in a long braid. "I'm just a jack of all trades." She said simply.

"How do you know Cerise?" He questioned, eyeing them both.

Miranda smiled warmly again, placing a hand on his shoulder, and despite everything in him that told him to fight back, he felt himself getting calmer, and realized it must be a trait or her power. But some how, he was oddly thankful for the calm returning to him. "We went to school with Cerise, when we were girls. The same boarding school. We were close friends. When things...when Cerise's uncle..." Miranda trailed off, wonderign just how much of Cerise's past, Sands knew.

But he nodded, indicating they should continue. "When her Uncle would do things to her...Alex, Lara and I, we'd comfort her. We looked after her. And she's always known, that if she's ever needed anything, we'd be there for her."

"In the phone message, she begged us to find Sheldon Jeffrey Sands and help him look for her." Alex explained. "She was...worried about you, and afraid of who ever had her. Said he was playing terrible mind games with her and told her you were dead, which is why she begged us to find you." Alex said.

"But Evans doesn't play mindgames." Logan said gruffly from his spot, looking at Miranda.

"No, but I think Evans may have an illusionist with him...much like Mastermind..." She gave Logan a pointed look. "Which is where I'll come in. Who did you call for back up, darling?"

"The Cajun and Kurt." Logan answered.

Sands decided to stay silent on this, but rubbed his temple. "I need a drink." He shoved past the group, heading for the bar.

"What's his problem?" Alex asked.

"He's stressed, he's worried about Cerise...he wants her in his arms, knowing she safe and all this that's happened is starting to overload him AND he thinks he's lost command of it all..." Miranda said softly, watching Sands closely as he disappeared.

"Reading his mind, or just a psych evaluation?" Alex asked softly, looking at her friend.

"I read his mind." Miranda said with a grin, she turned to Logan ."Go talk to him...try to assure him everything will be alright...he needs to hear that from you...and you may want to assure him that he is still incharge of her rescue. He's a man that's at his best when he's leader..."

"Right." Logan answered gruffly, letting go of Miranda. "I'll go talk to him." He started after Sands, when Miranda stole a kiss. "I've missed you." She whispered, smiling at him.

Logan kissed her back. "Missed you too' Wait for us in my hotel room." Miranda and Alex nodded, watching Logan go after Sands.

"Bit of an odd couple, aren't they?" Alex asked, crossing her arms.

Miranda grinned. "To say the least."

* * *

Author's Note: Miranda is a long time played RP character for a series of X-Men RPGs, I've been playing her for six years. She and Logan have always had a thing going on. 


End file.
